


A Shadow Over Ashfield

by shelfish



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: AU, GTA V style, Gangs, Gen, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-10 20:03:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1163914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelfish/pseuds/shelfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The city of Ashfield was uneventful until Geoff Ramsay arrived. He arrived as a criminal, recently freed from some jail. Story goes, he jumped on a random train, rode it for a day, then jumped off. With no money and no name, he easily fell in with some of the questionable folk in the town. He associated himself with a notorious gangster, Burnie Burns. Eventually, Burns couldn’t handle Ramsay and let him go. Ramsay left with a dozen loyal to him, and set up shop in a run-down warehouse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on real characters. This work and its errors are mine.

_The city of Ashfield was uneventful until Geoff Ramsay arrived. He arrived as a criminal, recently freed from some jail. Story goes, he jumped on a random train, rode it for a day, then jumped off. With no money and no name, he easily fell in with some of the questionable folk in the town. He associated himself with a notorious gangster, Burnie Burns. Eventually, Burns couldn’t handle Ramsay and let him go. Ramsay left with a dozen loyal to him, and set up shop in a run-down warehouse. He used drugs, alcohol, and money to draw younger kids to him. Sex sometimes was used, but he hardly got his own hands dirty. Three boys rose in his care; the cunning Ray Narvez Jr. aka “BrownMan”, the crazy Gavin Free aka “Creeper”, and the ferocious Michael Jones aka “Rage-Quit”. They became the ‘Lads’ and were sent to do some of the second-most-important missions that Geoff wanted done. Any important missions went to the ‘Gents’; three men including himself. The second was Ryan Haywood, aka the ‘Mad King’, known for strangling his victims with his bare hands. Jack Pattilo was the third Gent, and he got involved with the gang through money troubles, and went to his friend Geoff for help. Geoff twisted his arm into working for him, but Jack remains loyal to the friend that bailed him out and paid for his wedding. There are others, but the Lads and Gents made up the Achievement gang, the fiercest team that ruled the streets…_

Chapter One:  
“Haywood! What do we have on the board for today?” Geoff lounged in a leather recliner, both cup holes filled with two bottles of beer. On his hip was an old cowboy-style revolver that was shining like it was brand new. He gestured to the board with various papers tacked to it, some pictures with bullet holes between the eyes. Ryan shook his head and stood up from his perch on an antique throne that was splattered with old paint. “There’s still the Henderson brothers, the Flying Kite circus manager still owes us some money… What do you want to do to the cops today?”  
Geoff took out an old military-style knife from under the chair cushion and started running his finger along the blade. “Let’s check weapon stocks and then we can visit the Hendersons. The Lads should be competent enough to take the circus freaks, right?” Ryan nodded, and followed Geoff to their makeshift armory down the hall.  
In the armory, Jack was busy polishing and checking all of the guns and weapons in the gang’s stock. There were numerous handguns, rifles, shotguns, bb guns, paintball guns, knives, and even bow and arrows lining the shelves. Jack polished every weapon after it was used, and regularly stocked them. As Geoff walked it, he tensed up, holding tightly to the long K-BAR in his hand. Ryan clapped him on the back and bent down to inspect the K-BAR.  
“Flawless!” Ryan said, smiling and touching his finger lightly to the edge. Jack smiled, but wiped his glasses. “There’s a chip in the bottom. If it hits a solid surface, it’ll break.” Geoff held out his hand to Jack. “May I see it?” Jack handed him the old K-BAR, watching him warily. Geoff spun the blade around in his hand; the ex-solider in him knew how to hold a blade. He nodded and put it gently on the rack alongside an assortment of blades. “How’s your stocks Jack? Ammo, barrels, girls, need anything?” He slipped the last comment in as a small punch, knowing full well he funded Jack’s wedding. Jack sighed. “Some ammo never goes amiss, and we lost an AK-47 when the lads gave it to a cop filled with explosives. The car guns are great, oiled and whatnot. I’d say just some more ammo, but hey, a new gun never goes amiss.” Geoff nodded, picking up a small machine gun and tossing it to Ryan. He grabbed a couple clips of ammunition from a rack next to the knives, and smiled at Jack. “Thanks buddy, you comin’ along?” They looked at Geoff, who was still inspecting his K-BAR. “Jack can come if he wants. We’re visiting the Hendersons if you would like to join us.” Jack nodded, picking up his personal pistol and slipping a hammer into a loop in his jeans. Geoff smirked, and led the way to the garage where their vehicles were parked.


	2. 2

The Garage was located in the largest part of the warehouse that had been the assembly line and production floor. Giant steel beams separated different vehicles that a crew of men was constantly busy with repairing and building. A catwalk was suspended twenty feet high, offering a nice view of the proceedings below. Glass windows on top of the walls and the sun lights allowed the fading evening light to come in, as the lights began to automatically flick on. Everyone continued to work as the main door on the wall opposite the giant garage door slid open with an echoing THUD.

Geoff whistled happily as their new Mechanic rolled out from under a Black Jaguar. Wordlessly, Geoff made his way towards the new car. The Mechanic held the door open for Geoff, and looked at Ryan and Jack quizzically. “Where are you guys headed today?”

“We’re visiting the Hendersons again, Lindsay.” Jack replied, walking to the passenger’s side door. Ryan nodded at Lindsay, who raised the garage’s twenty foot high door with an automatic remote. She watched the Jaguar pull out to the town as the sun set behind the buildings that Geoff owned. “Dinner break!” she called to the workers once the door was closed, and set off to find Michael in the maze of the warehouse. 

* * *

 

“You know why we’re here Henderson.”

Geoff, Ryan, and Jack had made their way effortlessly to the back of the circus tent. Todd Henderson, the ringmaster, was waiting alone in his trailer for the Gents to arrive. He allowed himself to be shoved roughly into a chair by Ryan, while Jack waited off to the side. Geoff took a chair, effortlessly swinging it around to sit facing the man that owed him a large sum of money.

“I don’t know why we don’t have this settled, Geoff. I saved your life once.” Jack and Ryan looked quizzically at Geoff, who ignored their stares.

“I’m sorry Todd, but money is money, and I need your repayment.”

“Can I pay you in cotton candy and show tickets?” Geoff inclined his head towards Ryan, who sent his fist flying at the man’s nose. A crunch signaled his nose was broken, and blood began to flow. Todd sighed, holding a spotted cloth to his nose to stop the bleeding. “Did he tell you the story of how I saved his life?” Todd asked, looking at Ryan.

Ryan looked at Geoff again, and shook his head. Todd nodded. “This man owes his life to me. We were overseas together, and I stopped him from blowing his legs up.”

Geoff got up and walked out of the tent, leaving Jack and Ryan to make their own moves. “Why don’t you join us to pay your debts?” Jack asked kindly. Todd shook his head.

“I travel too much; I have too much to manage. Plus, I don’t like your line of work, no offense.” Ryan and Jack both shrugged. “I’m just surprised you manage to talk him out of payment every time we visit. I can’t keep breaking your nose though.” Ryan said as Todd laughed.

“Go back to your boss, men. I can handle him from now on.” Jack and Ryan walked back to the Jaguar, where Geoff was pacing around the car.

“Where to next, boss?” Ryan asked happily. Geoff punched the car, not caring as a crunch came from his fist. “How can I expect that bastard to pay me? I can’t keep doing that to him…”

Jack put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “So then let him off! How much does he owe you?”

“Five million. He needed it to start up the blood circus.” Jack and Ryan shrugged.

“You can make the money up, you can plan a heist or get into drugs.” Geoff turned to his two friends, shaking his head. “I’ve got a wife and a kid. Plus I’ve got all of you guys to pay. I can’t do that properly if we’re in debt, and the only way to get out of debt is to get Todd’s money.” Geoff pulled out his revolver, stalking back into Todd’s trailer.

Jack and Ryan hung their heads as shouting came from the trailer. A gunshot broke one of the windows, and Jack shook his head at the animal trainer that had just emerged from the main tent with a parrot. Ten minutes later, Geoff stalked back to the car, a bag of money in his hand. “This is all we’re taking, let’s go.” He got in the car as Ryan and Jack exchanged glances, wordlessly communicating their worry for their friend.


	3. The Hidden Room

While the Gents were ‘visiting’ the circus, Lindsay decided to find her fiancé. While the Garage was on one side of the base, the abandoned warehouse complex that made up the gang’s base was enormous. Sections were constantly found and explored, mostly by the Lads. They weren’t construction workers, but Lindsay would often come to inspect the rooms to deem them fit for habitation. She knew most of her way around the buildings, but she would frequently consult her maps to track down the Lads.

 _Michael told me to meet him at Building 8, and here I am. Now where is he?_ Lindsay looked at the small structure that made up Building 8. A freshly painted sign was leaning against the wall next to an open door. The building was small but long, sandwiched in-between the Armory and the Dining Hall. Rusted walkways snaked over and around the complex, and she soon heard laughter and clanking that signaled the Lads’ arrival.

“Lindsay!” cried Gavin, jumping the last few steps of the rusted staircase. He pulled her into a hug while she chuckled. Michael followed solemnly behind Gavin, carrying a backpack that was no doubt full of equipment for explorations like this. Ray was behind him, already wearing a stolen construction helmet that had a red rose painted on the side. He nodded at Lindsay, taking a look around the building in the setting sun.

“You know I don’t like exploring at night, Michael.” Lindsay said, reaching for her construction helmet. She adjusted her bandana to put on her own stolen helmet, complete with cat ears. Michael’s was molded like a bear’s head, and Gavin’s was green with monster faces on it. Michael shrugged, handing out rope, hammers, and headlights to each of the group. “Geoff wanted this building explored today, hon. He wanted to see if he can make a shooting range out of this building, because it was so long. GAVIN WAIT UP!” He yelled through the door as Gavin ran through, whooping with excitement. He stalked angrily after the British hooligan, leaving Ray and Lindsay outside. Ray offered Lindsay his arm, and they walked through the door.

Michael and Gavin had already disappeared, but it was clear that the building would make a suitable shooting range. The ceilings were high enough, complete with a walkway that snaked around the outside. Smaller rooms were built to the left of the door, and massive steel beams jutted out of the concrete floor to the roof.

“It’ll need new lighting, and we might have to tear down a wall for a passage to the armory.” Ray said, kicking a steel beam with his foot. It vibrated at a low hum, but otherwise stood still. Lindsay nodded, turning up to the catwalk. She threw a rope over the top of the walkway, tying it at the bottom. Tentatively, she pulled her weight up the rope. The catwalk shook with the movement, but held still like the steel.

“Geoff will probably want a railing on that. He may be a mob boss but he’s not stupid.” Ray nodded, turning to one of the small rooms, whose door was open. “Lindsay, you should come look at this.”

Lindsay peered in the door and took a step back. A large spiral staircase snaked its way down into the darkness from which she could hear faint curses from Michael. Chuckling, she turned on her headlight, leading the way to the basement with Ray.

“Lindsay! Are you down here?” Michael’s voice called, a bit to her left. “Yeah!” she called back, looking around. The basement was not as high as the room above it, but was modeled in a similar fashion. Michael’s voice was coming from a room where the door was shaking, no doubt from his fists.

“Gavin fucking locked us in here! We went through and he decided it would be a fucking dandy idea to close the door behind us, and it got fucking JAMED.” Michael’s angry voice rang from behind the door. Lindsay bent to inspect the lock, while Ray looked in the room next to it.

“The lock is bent backwards on itself, I can use my hammer from this end to pry it open, but you have to find something small to bend the lock back so it won’t lock again.” She said, taking her hammer out. She heard Gavin squeal. “Let’s use Gavin’s dick, or his FUCKING BRAIN I think that would be SMALL ENOUGH.” Lindsay’s eyes rolled as she tapped the handle a couple of times.

Ray reappeared behind her silently while she was working, tapping her shoulder. “I found a metal rod, we can slide it under the door for them to use.” Lindsay nodded, as he pushed the rod under, wait to hearthe metal roll under the door.

“Micool, let me help.” Gavin said quietly as metallic sounds indicated Michael was picking the lock on his side. “No you moron! You’ll just fuck everything else up!”

“Shh!” Ray held his finger to his mouth, one hand going to the gun at his waist. The silent Lad didn’t normally like being caught in the middle of firefights, but he wore the gun for his own protection. “I heard something down there.” He whispered, pointing down the dark hall. Lindsay stood slowly, drawing her own gun.

Gavin’s voice whispered through the door crack. “Don’t leave us! Get us out and we can help!”

“You’ve helped enough Gavin!” Michael whispered back furiously. His voice came out of the door crack, anxious but steady. “Lindsay, let Ray lead. Watch your back. We can stay here. Safe phrase is ‘Edgar’s buttcrack’. Good luck.”

Lindsay sighed, proceeding slowly after Ray. There seemed to be no additional rooms other than the one Gavin and Michael were locked in and the one next to it that Ray had found the rod in, but they could hear creaking like a door swinging back and forth. With nothing to shield them with, Lindsay and Ray quickly ran to a door at the end of the hall. Lindsay opened it, letting Ray take the lead.

He fired once, killing a large raccoon that was in the corner, and then turned to the other side of the room. He scratched his helmet, staring at the wall where a large painting hung. It was covered in a sheet, but at the sheet scratched in childish mocking handwriting was ‘Property of Ashville Museum’. Lindsay pulled the cloth off, stepping back. She turned to Michael as he and Gavin ran through the door. Faint sirens echoed from the street, making the old building shake slightly. 

“We need to get this to Geoff.”


	4. Chapter 4

An hour after Lindsay and the Lads had found the stolen sheet-covered relic from the Ashfield Museum, the basement of Building Eight was filled with various members of Geoff’s gang.  
Work lights and drop cloths covered the ground as crews started cleaning the building, making way for new equipment and people. In the basement, Lindsay and a crew of workmen were trying to figure out how someone could’ve moved the object into the building without being noticed. Lindsay was about to storm out after one of the men suggested they just bring the ceiling down and hook it out with a crane when Geoff arrived.  
His black and green construction helmet weaved through the crowd of people and electric extension cords, followed by five more helmets with unique designs. It wasn’t rare to see the entire inner circle of Geoff’s gang gathered in one room, but it normally warranted a rare or extenuating circumstance.  
“What do we have here Lindsay?” Geoff asked while the other men stepped out of the room, leaving Lindsay alone with the six gangsters. Gavin bounded up to the sheet, pulling it off with a flourish.  
“This, Geoff, is a stolen work of art from the Ashfield Museum, and none of us can figure out how someone could’ve gotten it down here. We also can’t find the bloke who did it, which would be a nice start…” The lad looked from one member to the next, silently pleading for someone to come up with an idea.  
Ryan and Jack stepped forward next, inspecting the painting and its frame. “Wooden frame I suppose,” Ryan said, running his gloved hand gently along the rim. His gray helmet rested gently against the wall as he tried to see behind the painting. Jack gently grabbed the bottom, swinging it out for his friend to see. Ryan nodded, pulling his head back out.  
“Wire, hung to an old nail that was already back in the wall.” Geoff said, already reading their thoughts. Both men nodded, turning to the lads who had found it. “There was nothing here?” Geoff questioned. Ray shook his head, looking to Lindsay for an answer.  
“Someone could’ve carried it with a team of people. It’s not too large that it would be awkward for one strong person, but a couple people would’ve been nice to maneuver around the doors and down the staircase. I’d say we’re looking for a mastermind thief at the forefront, the other people that helped him or her lift it won’t matter. They could be simple work men like the ones in my gang,” she gestured to the door which they were waiting behind.  
Geoff sighed, turning to Michael. “Your fiancée is useful; she should come to meetings more often. I’m off to get a drink boys; we’ll leave this for the morning.” Geoff exited the room quickly, followed by Gavin and Ray. Michael tore Lindsay and Jack and Ryan away from the painting after a couple minutes of discussion, knowing they would be there all night trying to figure out how someone could’ve gotten through the warehouse without them knowing.  
As Lindsay, Michael, Ryan, and Jack walked through the dark basement, they chatted a bit about the museum. The Ashfield Museum held a number of small artifacts and paintings; it wasn’t world renowned or world famous, it was just a simple town relic.  
“Geoff wouldn’t’ve gained anything at all from stealing the stupid painting from the museum.” Michael said. He was slightly angry that the painting had taken away some of his sleep time, but he was just as curious as the other men. Lindsay shrugged. “He gained a pretty painting.”  
“A pretty painting he could steal.” Ryan said, tapping his chin with his flashlight as he thought.  
“You really think Geoff stole that painting by himself, and didn’t tell us? I’m pretty sure stealing something that big would’ve caused him to brag about it.” Jack said, eyeing the staircase that Geoff, Ray, and Gavin had walked up a couple minutes earlier. He stopped suddenly, surprising Lindsay and Michael. Ryan had seemed to figure out something was amiss the moment Jack had stopped, and he slowly lowered his flashlight. Hands crept slowly towards holsters as guns were drawn and safeties turned off. They filed into a simple formation, Ryan first, Michael second, Lindsay behind him, and Jack last. Ryan looked up the staircase that was shrouded by a thin slice of moonlight, then pushed the others back into the darkness.  
“What was that about?” Michael hissed as Ryan led them into the same room Michael and Gavin had gotten locked in earlier. Ryan sighed, scratching his chin.  
“I could hear radios beeping and a couple voices. There were some lights blinking off the top of the railing-“  
“So, Sherlock?” Michael hissed under his breath. Lindsay squeezed his arm gently. “There are policemen up there Michael. We can’t go up just yet.”  
“What do the police want? They hardly come after us if they can’t prove anything.” Jack looked through the door crack, trying to see the staircase.  
“Well we do have a stolen painting in our basement.” Ryan replied. “Someone could’ve tipped off the police. They’d come here, finally able to investigate us on a lead, and question Geoff. The police most likely know about the Lads and the Gents, so they’re probably looking for us too. Those workmen will probably be questioned a bit, but their ours so they won’t say anything unless Geoff does. Meanwhile, they’ll try to get a warrant to search the place…” Ryan’s voice fades off as they turn to Jack. “We need to get back and cover up the guns.”  
“We can’t get past the cops!” Michael yells. Suddenly, Jack pushes all of them into a corner. “Turn off your lights and be quiet.” He whispers. A few minutes later, footsteps ring throughout the basement as men come down the stairs. Flashlight beams illuminate the room through the door cracks, and Jack crawls to the door to listen in.  
“Man this place is giving me the chills. Why can’t we give some interns this job?” A man asks.  
“We have to search the place for the painting idiot.” A deeper voice replies. “Then we can finally convict that mob boss Ramsay and return the town to normal.”  
“We don’t have a warrant though, don’t we need a warrant to search their base.”  
“We’re searching for any more dangerous mobsters, and if we find the painting while we’re lookin’, then that’s a bonus.” The voices grow louder as the men approach, and Jack bends the rusted handle to lock the door. It shudders as the men try to get in, but they soon give up and their footsteps echo faintly as they go back up the stairs. Jack bends the handle back, and the four gangsters slip out of the room with heightened senses.  
Michael goes up the stairs silently, gun drawn. He returns after a minute, waving the rest of the group up. The police cars have left tire marks and cigarette butts in the dust, but the building seems to be clear. “Let’s go lock up the guns and go back to the general meeting room.” Jack says. The group proceeds swiftly though the warehouses, checking each for employees or cops, but all of the buildings seem to be deserted. Jack swiftly locks the armory while Lindsay locks the garage, and the four join up again, feeling slightly more secure.  
“Now what?” Michael asks, taking a seat in Geoff’s chair. He rummages through the seat cushion, pulling a bottle of whiskey out triumphantly and taking a drink. Lindsay rolls her eyes and looks at a map that Ryan has brought out on the long oak table.  
“The base seems to be clear of everyone except us.” Jack begins, pointing to their base in the town map. Ryan nods, marking it with a sharpie. “We should be safe here, but it feels weird to be here alone.”  
“Why would the guys just leave?” Lindsay says over Ryan’s shoulder. He looks back at the red-head, perched on the arm of Geoff’s chair.  
“They may have left because they don’t want to be linked to the painting. As of now, the police don’t know where it is exactly, which could be good for us.”  
“Ryan the knowledge guy,” Michael mutters from behind the whiskey bottle. Ryan ignores him and circles a building on the map. “The police station is fifteen minutes away, and I think it’s safe to assume they took Geoff, Ray, and Gavin there to question them. The police can’t hold them though because they probably haven’t arrested them, so the guys might be back soon.”  
“Might?” ponders Jack aloud. He points to the police station. “Geoff, Ray, and Gavin will come back. The police will also come back with a warrant, and we need to figure out how to get the painting back to the museum.”  
“We need to un-steal the painting!” Lindsay says, clapping her hands. Ideas start whirring in her head about the painting, when all of them are stopped by Ryan. “We need to get Geoff back, and then we can figure out what to do about the painting. We still don’t know how it got down there..”  
Jack sighs. “I could see Geoff stealing the painting…” he scratches his beard slowly, thinking hard. Michael gets up angrily. “I refuse to believe Geoff actually stole the fucking painting! He has nothing to gain from it. He’s already got guns, us, money, and the whole fucking city in his pocket!”  
“He could’ve done it as a statement!” Ryan says, slamming his hand on the table. “Right now, we can’t prove or excuse him of the stealing the painting, so my first priority is getting the truth! I’m going to that museum.” He stalks out of the room angrily, followed back a confused looking Jack. Lindsay sighs and follows Michael’s heavy footsteps to the barracks.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful kudos and hits (not physically, you know what I mean). This is my first true piece of fanfic I've written, and I'm so glad for the support. Sorry I don't update frequently or on a schedule, but college stuff kicks my ass. Hopefully, I will start a new Potter fic, and maybe even a Holy Trinity fic. I've got a lot of ideas for stories, so I just have to tailor them to my different fandoms and bam- story!
> 
> Anywho, sorry for the long talk and long wait. As always, all mistakes are mine as is this piece of beauty.

Lindsay woke to light streaming in through the old warehouse windows. When Geoff adopted the warehouse as his base of operations, the gang did a pretty good job of cleaning the space for adequate living. Each member had a room to themselves, and there was a kitchen, lounge area complete with a pool table, and two bathrooms with showers. She yawned, inhaling the scent of clean sheets and Michael as she turned to face him. He looks less angry in his sleep, she thought to herself, chuckling. Yawning, she stood up to go take a shower.

Thirty minutes and a bar of soap later, Lindsay was sharing a breakfast omelet with Jack. Ryan had left earlier, according to Jack, and Michael was still in bed. As Lindsay scraped the last piece of tomato from her plate, Jack cleared his throat to get her attention.

“I don’t trust Ryan.” He said, sadly but clearly. Ryan and Jack were close, and it was hard for Jack to admit his feelings toward Ryan. Lindsay sighed, taking a sip of tea. “Why, Jack? I don’t doubt you… but why?”

Jack sighed, looking out the warehouse window to the right of the oaken table that a friend of Geoff’s had made herself. The table still made the kitchen smell like oak, and combined with the scent of fresh eggs, Lindsay fought her eyelids as Jack told his story from when he met Ryan.

“Ryan was- is- confident. He’s strong, almost as strong as me, but he seems more vicious. When Geoff wants some muscle on an… outing… he brings myself and Ryan. Geoff always has Ryan do the punching though, as if I’m just there for intimidation…” Lindsay patted him on the back and waited for him to continue.

“Just last night, when Geoff, Ray, and Gavin got taken by the police for questioning, something changed in his eyes. He seems more menacing and just more… angry. Not Michael angry though, like… something inside him snapped.” Lindsay nodded. “I thought the same thing when I saw him last night. So what do you propose?”

Jack sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “I don’t know. Ryan is at the museum now, or that’s where he said he would be. The workmen are still here, and so are the weapons. With Geoff gone, the workers might try to leave-“

“Not while I’m in charge.” Lindsay said aggressively. Jack chuckled and sighed. “The way I see it, I think Ryan might try to pull the rug out from under Geoff and us and take power. He could intimidate your workers or even you into not trusting us.”

“We can’t just let Ryan take over!” Lindsay said. Suddenly, the steps creaked behind them. Jack stood up, stepping in front of Lindsay. She watched Jack’s back shake, then sigh with relief as Michael came down the stairs. He yawned, and Jack sighed as he went to grab the other omelet for Michael. “Thanks Jack.” He said. Lindsay poured him some coffee, and Michael dug in. For a minute, the only sound was Michael’s fork scraping up breakfast, but after he was done, he turned to Lindsay. “Are you guys planning something?” he asked. Michael may have been thought of as a loose cannon, but he was actually very intelligent when it came to subtleties. Jack nodded, and filled Michael in on Ryan’s behavior. Michael listened for the most part, but slammed his fist down when Jack was done. “So what’s the plan? Do we let the bastard take over?”

“We don’t even know if that’s his plan-“ Lindsay began. Jack shook his head. “I know Ryan, and that gleam in his eyes was set to conquer-mode.” Lindsay sighed as Michael rubbed his eyes. “What is the fucking plan?” he emphasized. “We could side with Ryan.” Jack said softly. Lindsay shook her head. “We tell the crew. We get word to Geoff somehow, and we fight Ryan.”

“We let the bastard take over and go into hiding.” Michael said. It was uncharacteristic of Michael to choose to run away, but Jack and Lindsay agreed. “Somehow, we get the word to Geoff, Ray, and Gavin,” Jack began. “Then, we pick a hideout. We can tell the workers; maybe we can get a few spies on our hands, but they don’t have to risk their lives for us. With some workers under Ryan and some under us, we could take over the warehouse once Geoff is free.”

“What about that blasted painting?” Michael asked. Lindsay answered immediately. “We can get some workers to help us bring it to the museum. On the way, we pick up Geoff, Gavin, and Ray, and then they beg for forgiveness at the museum and the police station. Maybe even issue a formal apology.”

Jack and Michael nodded, agreeing with the plan. “So what can we do right now? I’m ready fucking bust skulls!” Michael said. “Step one is tell the workers,” Jack said. “Step two: find out where Geoff, Ray, and Gavin are and what is the extent of the charges. Step three, we pick a new hideout. Step four; we pack up and move.” Jack felt a little sad suggesting they move out of the warehouse. It wasn’t anything special, but they had made memories here. Giving up the throne was tough, but a smart decision.

After cleaning up breakfast, the trio made their way down to the garage. When Jack pulled open the large steel door, the sight shocked Lindsay. More than half her crew was gone, which left about twenty men and women in the garage. They were milling around mostly, doing small tasks like changing headlights, or playing poker. The group was obviously distracted, and needed a leader.

Lindsay got up on the nearest car hood, a black Mercedes, and stomped her foot to get attention. The group looked up with mixed emotions; relieved, scared, or even angry.

“I know half of us are gone, and before I get too into this speech I want to thank you for being the ones that stayed.” Lindsay paused as the group smiled, giving her greasy thumbs-up. “I bet you all know that we found that painting in the basement of Building Eight, and to the best of my knowledge, it’s still there. Geoff, Ray, and Gavin were taken by the police for questioning, and we have a plan.”

“Fight?” asked JJ. He was an average-built man, with a shock of messy black hair and a curious smirk on his face. His hair was kept out of his face by his black motorcycle goggles, that stayed on his head so long they gave him a permanent indent and tan line. “I think we should get Geoff back by force!” he said, pulling a large and very lethal-looking hammer from the pocket of his grease-stained overalls. Several voices murmured in agreement, but Lindsay shook her head.

“We run away!” Burnie suggested. Before the confused murmurs got louder, she banged her foot on the Mercedes’ hood again. “I know, running isn’t our style- it’s not Geoff’s style, or even Michael’s style-“ a couple people laughed as Michael smirked, waving from behind his fiancée. “But Geoff is counting on us. He said ‘family over funds’ and I think that’s really true. He wouldn’t want us going down with the business, he’d rather see us safely on shore watching that boat sink. So here’s our plan.” Lindsay described their plan in stages, and her speaking style won over her fellow mechanics easily. A few even suggested places to relocate, and in the end they decided on a building dubbed Studio Block B by locals. Lindsay nodded in agreement, and everyone helped strip the warehouse. They didn’t take every weapon or every plan, but they took a good deal of essential things. Jack and Michael cleaned out Ray and Gavins’ quarters, while Lindsay went up to check out Geoff’s office.

Geoff’s office was at the top of the main warehouse building, a penthouse almost. He repaired the elevator to take it straight to his office, and even had a personal guard for it. The guard had since left, but Lindsay was able to crack the code to get up to the office.

As the elevator doors opened, the faintest smell of scotch wafted throughout the hallway, and Lindsay couldn’t suppress a grin. At the end of the hallway were three doors; a private bathroom, office, and sleeping quarters. The bathroom and bedroom didn’t have anything important, but Lindsay found a small trunk that looked important enough. She picked the lock, and carried the most important-looking envelopes down with her. Once she and the rest of the gang had packed their stuff, Lindsay sent the gear ahead to Studio Block B with JJ, Burnie, and the other loyal workers.

Michael, Lindsay, and Jack wandered back to the garage, which seemed empty when the three armored Jeeps and two Cadillac’s were missing. Lindsay picked out an inconspicuous Ford Focus to take, and the trio drove out of the warehouse. Michael opened and closed the main gate to the abandoned manufacturing plant, and switched places with Lindsay. As Michael turned on the headlights to illuminate the dark pavement, Lindsay turned around and watched the warehouse, until it disappeared into the night.


End file.
